Adwatch: PC World - 'Toshiba Laptop'

Adwatch: PC World - 'Toshiba Laptop'

Article excerpt

PC World advertising promises 'The best of both worlds', but satisfies neither. It caught my eye as an ad with an ad break in the middle of it: the Intel Centrino flying logo insert makes this a double whammy of jingles.

The Christmas selling season is truly upon us.

My research into the comprehension of this ad started with a straw poll.

Unfortunately, this turned out to be among the equivalent of the Saracens: my respondents took no prisoners. Strategy, idea and execution are the three points where an ad can go wrong, and all were condemned in this case.

Quantitative evidence on the brand's condition is much kinder. The PC World brand's great strength is in consumer awareness and relevance; its biggest weak point is unsatisfactory performance.

My respondents failed to get what this ad was about. It shows a slightly agitated man being ignored by a salesman who is going through a checklist of the features of a pounds 999 Toshiba laptop with a shopper who enthusiastically gives an extra name check to Centrino. The dramatic reveal - that the onlooker is not really there, but is looking at the product online before visiting the store - comes when his image evaporates Star Trek transporter-style in a purple corporate logo-coloured haze. …